Hey, remember when I was a writer, and I would get totally distracted by this completely made up universe in my head to the point where I would have to compulsively write down the intricate plots of said universe in order to purge my brain and get on with my life, conveniently entertaining you at the same time?

Yeah, it’s been a while, a good month actually. Don’t get me wrong. There’s been outlining. I wrote two whole paragraphs today. But that’s as far as I’ve been able to get. I should be doing all these important things, including my writing (some of you out there have mentioned that I seem to have a knack for it). Life is short. But, damn, I’m tired.

Where do others get their motivation from? I want to be motivated. I want to do right, eat right, exercise, get all these important tasks accomplished, and still find the time to look and act like a human being. It all just seems overwhelming. Hell, some days, just putting pants on seems overwhelming (Oh, how I do enjoy my pantless days).

Flattery does seem to help. One fan told me I “outdid myself” with Blonde in the Backwaters. That felt good to hear. Another told me she liked it so much she immediately gave me a 5 star review online and told a close friend she had to buy the whole series, which the friend did, so that was nice. I love it when I get the “I read it in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. When’s the next one coming out?” And so it goes.

I left Bernice and Evan’s lives in just enough upheaval to get book six off to a running start. The stage is set. New characters are shaping up, and the plot is bursting with intrigue. Come on, Chris, just start writing. You don’t even need pants for that.